Allen Scott Schleicher And Janine Bergenstock Named Athletes Of The Year By The Big 'A'

May 30, 1985|by RICKI STEIN, The Morning Call

State wrestling champion Scott Schleicher and comeback-kid Janine Bergenstock were named Allen High School Athletes of the Year at the Big "A" Booster Club's 19th annual All Sports Banquet last week at Trexler Middle School.

Schleicher, who will spend a year at the U.S. Naval Academy Prep School in Newport, R.I. before heading to Annapolis, also won Most Valuable Player Awards for football and wrestling and the Paul K. Clymer Foundation Award. Bergenstock, a three-sport athlete bound for Rider College, was the field hockey MVP. Both will also receive All America City Awards next week from the Chamber of Commerce.

The 145-pound Schleicher was highly recruited by the top Division 1 wrestling programs, including Oklahoma State, Penn State and Lehigh. He decided early to go to Navy.

"My brother Don went to Navy. He's a second lieutenant now," Schleicher began. "When he first went there I was in eighth grade and I didn't want to have anything to do with it. But then I saw how he turned out and I changed my mind."

Acknowledging the fact that he'll have to have his head shaved and start as a plebe, Schleicher joked, "Yup, I'm going from the top back to the bottom."

Schleicher racked up a 108-13-2 wrestling record in four years at Allen. He finished fourth in the PIAA State Meet as a junior. This year he went 36-0, won the District 11, Northeast Regional and PIAA State meets. In the Pittsburgh Press Wrestling Classic Tournament, he decisioned Kip Kristoff of Illinois, 11-6. Kristoff was ranked No. 1 in the country. Schleicher was named Honorable Mention All-America.

The personable Schleicher also was an All-Conference defensive back for the Canary football team. He carries a 3.0 average in the classroom and is ranked 147 in his class of 649. He is president of the Varsity "A" Club, a member of the Contemporary Affairs Club, the Leo Club and the Weight Training Club.

During a basketball game in her sophomore year, Bergenstock injured her kneeso severely that some doctors told her she would never play sports again. But the feisty scholar athlete (she's 22nd in her class of 649) wouldn't listen. She spent numerous hours in therapy and came back to become an All- Conference player in field hockey, basketball and softball. In three years of basketball, she scored over 500 points and as playmaker, she led the team in assists. For the softball team this year, she hit .357 and made no errors at shortstop in 16 league games.

"The accident," Bergenstock responded when asked what the most memorable moment of her high school athletic career was. "When I was recuperating, I thought I'd come back and my ability would be just the same as before. But it wasn't. It meant a great deal to me to be able to play again. I'm not really surprised at the award, though. I had a good senior year."

Bergenstock will enroll at Rider College in the fall and play field hockey and softball against local schools in the East Coast Conference.

"I was accepted to Penn State and Syracuse and they're Division 1, but they're too big. I wanted a small Division 1 school and I wanted to be close," she explained.

Steve Neikam was a triple-winner at the banquet. He was recognized for his loyalty and cooperation with the Eugene H. Rosenberg Memorial Award; he received the J. Milo Sewards Basketball trophy; and he was given the AHS State Championship Team of 1951 Memorial Basketball Award. Todd Doster received the Dr. Robert Friedman Award and the J. Birney Crum Football trophy. Diver Vicki Hoffman took home the Big "A" Booster Club Memorial Scholarship Award and a girls' swimming award. And Keith Wetherhold was honored in football and for his manager-trainer apprenticeships.

Versatile double sport winners were Sean Boyle and Jane Tatum. Boyle won awards for golf and volleyball while Tatum was honored for basketball and volleyball. Diane Reitz won awards for girls' track and cross-country.

In fall sports, awards were given to Chris Baker for girls tennis; to Lisa Tomasko for field hockey; to Steve Sousa in cross-country; and to goalie Ted Zeller and sweeper Chann Nguyen in soccer.

Spring sports trophies went to Ted Street, Dave Shelly and Donna Daubert in track and field; Donna Reimer and Wendy Follweiler in softball; Joseph Wach and Mark Lanzone in baseball; and Andy Heckenberger in tennis. Chrisy Paximadas was honored for cheerleading.

In the special awards category, Darrel Belfield won the Russ DeEsch Memorial Award; Phyllis Schneck best exemplified the champion young lady for the Isabelle "Pewter" Keiser McHugh Wolfe Award; Leah Eschleman won the Barbara Perschy Memorial Award for field hockey; Mark Rabenold was the Jerome Schneider Golf Award winner; Randy Unger won the Paul K. Clymer Award; and the Canary Good Sportsmanship Awards went to Mike Pouchan and Yvonne Segarra. Athletic department secretary Anita Williams was given a lifetime membership to the Big "A" Booster Club.